You need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year to be eligible for federal student loans, state grants, institutional giant aid, federal grants, and more. Previously, FAFSA offered a renewal process to save time during subsequent years. However, with major updates in 2023, it’s currently not possible to simply renew your FAFSA. Here’s what you need to know.
Can You Renew The FAFSA?
The FAFSA no longer offers a “renewal process” for the 2025-2026 award year.
Prior to 2023, the FAFSA had over 100 questions, so it was extremely time consuming. Although you had to fill out the entire form for your first year of college, the United States Department of Education (DE) saved your information. In subsequent years, you only had to update the details, meaning you saved a ton of time.
The financial aid application received a significant overhaul in 2023 and some adjustments in 2024. As a result, you can’t simply renew your FAFSA.
However, the form went from a possible 108 questions to around 40 based on your situation. Some students only need to complete 18. Instead of typing in your financial information, such as income and taxes, the FAFSA now pulls those details directly from your previous year’s tax returns.
You’ll still save a lot of time thanks to these automated additions.
How Can You Complete the FAFSA Quickly?
Some applicants can complete their application in just 10 minutes!
Most students will need their parents in order to complete the FAFSA. To speed up your submission:
- Create or login to your Federal Student Aid (FSA) account. You only need to create an account the first time you complete the application.
- Know your Social Security number (SSN), basic details, and contact information.
- Determine the FAFSA contributor (usually a parent) and get their details, including their SSN, date of birth, and contact information.
- Have you or your contributors’ tax returns on hand. Even though the FAFSA pulls directly from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), you may need to answer supplemental questions.
- Collect any additional required documents and information, including records of child support and assets.
- Know which schools you’re applying to. You can always remove or add schools (up to 20 at a time) on the FAFSA, but if there’s even a slight chance you’re applying to the school, list them. Delaying could mean you miss out on institutional aid packages.
Although there’s no longer a “renewal process” with the FAFSA, the overhaul in 2023 resulted in a streamlined application process. Where the old FAFSA took an hour and more to complete, the new FAFSA may take as little as 10 minutes.
Want to learn more about institutional grant aid you might qualify for? You can learn more about cost data and potential net prices for your college through our free tool: College Match.
| Lender | Rates (APR) | Eligibility | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
5.34%-15.96%* Variable
3.99%-15.61%* Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CITIZENS |
 |
4.92% - 15.08% Variable
3.99% - 15.49% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT SALLIE MAE |
 |
4.50% - 17.99% Variable
3.49% - 17.99% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CREDIBLE |
 |
6.00% - 13.75% Variable
3.99% - 13.75% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT LENDKEY |
 |
5.50% - 14.56% Variable
3.69% - 14.41% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ASCENT |
 |
3.70% - 8.75% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ISL |
 |
4.99% - 16.85% Variable
3.47% - 16.49% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT EARNEST |
 |
5.00% - 14.22% Variable
3.69% - 14.22% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ELFI |
